James S. (James Smith) Findley

James S. Findley, also known as James Smith Findley, was an American mammalogist born on December 28, 1926, in Cleveland, Ohio. From an early age he was deeply interested in natural history, and as a teenager he volunteered at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. After serving in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II, he studied at Western Reserve University and later earned his Ph.D. at the University of Kansas.

His career became closely tied to the study of mammals in the western United States, especially New Mexico and the broader Southwest. He was known for his field research, his work in museum collections, and for mentoring many later researchers. Reference works and tributes to his career describe him as an emeritus professor of biology and emeritus director of the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico, and note books including The Natural History of New Mexican Mammals.

Findley died on May 20, 2018, in Corrales, New Mexico. His reputation rests not only on his own research and books, but also on the lasting influence he had on students and colleagues in mammalogy.